Damaged Souls (Broken Man) - By Christopher Scott Page 0,43

understand and we slowly drifted apart. Over the years, I watched from the sidelines as he became a different person, as he became more and more arrogant, more inhuman. I knew what he was when he asked Delaney to the prom and it was me who should have done something about it,” he paused and looked at Jack, almost as if asking for forgiveness.

“Let’s stop blaming ourselves for what happened, okay,” Jack reached an agreement with Greg as he realized there was still something he wasn’t telling him. “Greg, what is it you want to say,” Jack decided the direct approach was best.

“I don’t think it even matters.”

“Everything matters,” he tried to explain. “Look, I know I haven’t done a great job of communicating with you, and it’s something I regret, it’s something I’m going to change. If anything, if we had just communicated with each other, none of this would have happened,” Jack identified the true culprit. “What I’m trying to say is that I haven’t set a very good example and I’m not going to be that way anymore.”

“That’s not true either, Jack,” Greg again disagreed with him. “You set a great example for me, you never had to say anything. I just watched how you were with Amanda, Delaney, and Logan and I tried to copy you. A lot of who I am today is because of you.”

“That means a lot to me, Greg,” Jack said quietly as he fought away tears.

“I needed someone,” he continued as Jack realized he wasn’t done. “I needed someone after my father died. No one was there until you, Delaney, and Amanda came along. I remember the one time I thought someone was. It was a few months after my father died and I came home early from school one day. I remember seeing Mr. Caldwell’s car in the driveway and thinking he was there to help.”

Oh no, Jack didn’t need to be told what happened as he saw the tears form in Greg’s eyes and he felt his anger. I’m going to get that bastard, Jack recommitted to his cause as he tried to console him. “Greg, you don’t have to tell me.”

“No, it’s okay. When I saw him with my mom, something happened, it’s kind of hard to describe,” Greg tried to find the right words. “I think I gave up on people, if that makes any sense. At least until you guys came along.”

“Come here, Greg,” Jack stood up and took him into his arms as he felt him crying and understood his pain. “It’s okay. None of that was your fault, and it’s not your Mom’s fault either. It’s hard to lose someone you love and your mind does some funny things,” he did a poor job of describing his mother’s state of mind as he tried to comfort him.

“How do you mean,” Greg tried to regain his composure as he let go of Jack’s embrace and sat back down.

“I know how your mother felt,” Jack paused as he again felt the pain. “After Delaney’s mother passed away, I was a mess. I didn’t even know what I was doing, I wasn’t thinking rationally. I’m sure your mother felt the same way, and that prick took advantage of her. Don’t blame her, Greg.”

“I don’t,” he replied before shifting the focus back to Jack. “How did you recover.”

“I hate to admit it, but I don’t think I really did. I just couldn’t get her out of my head, even though I tried. Even now when I see Delaney sometimes, it reminds me of her and it still hurts,” Jack paused as he remembered Brittany. “I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t met Amanda. I guess I was just lucky to find love twice in one lifetime.”

“Jack, can I ask you something.”

“Sure, Greg.”

“Did you ever meet my father.”

I guess we are going to talk about all the things we never addressed over the years, Jack thought to himself as he considered Greg’s question. “I met him once, it was actually at one of the Caldwell’s parties.”

“What was he like.”

“We only talked for a minute, but he seemed nice,” Jack reassured him as he understood what he was really asking. “Greg, working with Mitch’s father was just a way for him to making a living. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. Your father was nothing like that asshole.”

“I know, Jack. I can still remember him. He was a good father and he really did love